Night Seduction
by s2.koiishii.s2
Summary: In a brewing war in the underworld, Sakura ventures forth in the midst of it all, naive, beautiful and oh so lethal.  The NIGHT SEDUCTION now begins... [VAMPIRES][SxS]
1. Innocence

**NIGHT SEDUCTION**

/...S2.KOIISHII.S2.../

* * *

Sakura held her arms firmly and protectively in front of her as a blur of a black figure accelerated towards her with hard fists. She instantaneously felt the stabbing contact, penetrating through her skin unto her bones. She smirked, shaking her hands from defence mode to an attacking stance, black flat shoes wide apart for balance and fingers carefully portraying the special style she used and mastered. In a flash, she charged like the wind towards her opponent, throwing a hard stone-like palm force to the chest, knocking him slightly off his feet, a crucial moment she didn't dare miss to cast an unexpected low kick aimed at the shin which she thought would work wonders to her advantage. Wiping her forehead with the back of her hand, she waited for her opponent's fall to the ground but instead felt two fingers squeezing the two pressure points on either side of her neck. She moaned loudly, realising her defeat. 

"You can hardly call this fair," she protested madly, clawing her brother's fingers from her neck, "How can I possibly beat you when you know what I'd do before I even know them myself?"

Touya sighed, using his free hand to ruffle his younger sister's auburn hair, "There is no opportunity to question what is fair and what is not in the battle field, kaijuu."

Sakura slapped his hand away defensively and glared at her older brother, looking up unto his fierce dark eyes, "And it is not at all respectful to mock your opponents this way."

He grinned down at her, throwing an unanticipated low kick similar to the one she had used on him before hand but as he expected, she was quick to sense his attack and she jumped out of the way just on time. "But the thing is, you are my brat of a sister, I have every right to taunt you and call you whatever name I please--"

Her emerald eyes glimmered in irritation, the smirk returning on her face, "What can I possibly do but prove you wrong elder brother and I will do just that!"

Their training session resumed in a haze of fast movements that only a specific trained eye would be able to perceive. Aside from the sound of laboured breathing, screeches of attacks and the unusual air resistance caused by their swift movements particularly when dust would flutter seemingly all by itself, the wooden dojo remained mundanely stagnant. Only those with _tainted_ eyes would have the capability to grasp the inhumane speed and stealth in which the siblings moved and practised. The term _tainted_ was used to define those who belonged in the populace of the dark realm, particularly the vampiric empire. It refered to the distinct eyes vampires possessed which could easily be distinguished from all others by the lone signatory blood mark outside the iris that could be found in the left eye. Female vampires however could also be recognised in a different way, after successfully undergoing the mating ritual, they would have permanent imprinted blood tattoos on the back of their neck, on both the inside of their wrists and just beneath their navel. These tattoos were crimson-coloured, easily noticed and stood as label for the ownership of an alpha – these women were deemed as untouchable to other males. The breach of this law promised a dooming death, one that could not be possibly avoided nor stopped.

Sakura breathed in a mouthful doze of much needed air as she watched her brother's fading back as he left the dojo; it wasn't long until she was left all by herself tending to the fresh bruises she acquired from the training session she just had with her older sibling. Ignoring the aches all over her body, all she could do was beam brightly as she untied her black uniform from the waist, peeling the skin-tight sleeves from her arms and pulling it down to her hips, leaving a short black shirt on her well defined torso. It had been months since she last sparred with her brother as he was usually confined in the palace fulfilling his duties in serving the Dark prince as his _Weaver_. Since he started working there, Sakura barely saw him and during the precious times she did, they would engage in serious, physical combat for old time's sake with Sakura trying to desperately outdo her older brother in the means of proving herself worthy in his eyes. It was Touya who first introduced and taught her the art of fighting when she was 4, mimicking his techniques and gradually developing her own as years passed. Although it was enforced that the art of combat be learnt by every single member of the family, Sakura held every moment a dear experience in which she formed a close, strong bond with her brother – one that might usually involve the regular taunting and name-calling, her body covered in new blue, purple and red bruises every vicious encounter and the stinking feeling of failure for every defeat – all these did not matter. But now that she had grown into a beautiful and stunning young woman and he had left her to do her own training to work in the palace, she never admitted it to him but she gravely missed him. She cursed the prince for every damn second he had taken her brother away from her family and from her. She loathed him for many other reasons as well. Although there was really little she could do to change matters, her family – the Kinomoto kin – had swore allegiance to the royal family many centuries ago, an allegiance that had turned into a blood oath that could never be broken.

The Kinomoto lineage was known for their adept skill in secrecy, combat and honour. It was the only family that maintained a high-profile in the ninja-profession in the dark realm keeping true to the principles of nobility and pride, ranking second in the most respected and feared elites after the royal family. Strong, pure vampiric blood ran through both ancestries – such potent blood that sometimes caused a few to be born with special abilities.

It had been a week since Touya left for the palace. Sakura sat down in the middle of the dojo, pulling out the silk charcoal ribbon twirled in her hair and using her hands to fan herself. Finally breathing normally after yet one of her strenuous trainings, her pulse slowly settled to even, rhythmic beats as she laid down on the cold wooden floor and stretched herself like a star. The sweet smile adorning her lips never left her face as she reminisced of her childhood training sessions, giggling stupidly at the memory of how she would attempt to stomp and tantrum her way out of every single spar against her brother. Now, she looked forward to every opportunity but they didn't come as often as she liked. One of her goals in life was to undermine her brother's special ability to predict future events in order to finally defeat him. She struggled with this objective like many others, she couldn't figure out a way to overcome an opponent who knew what you were going to do before you even knew it yourself.

* * *

_**...FLASHBACK...** (A/N: it's a long flashback and I didn't want you guys to have a hard time reading if i put it in italics.)_

"Every warrior no matter how great he is, possess a weakness," Touya stated simply, lecturing a wide-eyed 5 year old Sakura, "Usually this weakness is right in front of your eyes but you fail to see it or refuse to acknowledge it. Sometimes we think far too deeply, drowning in meaningless and useless conclusions when the answer is right on the surface, vulnerable yet we are too busy swimming in possibilities."

Sakura nodded dumbly, unable to comprehend much of the latter but knowing full well that she would be able to run off to have snacks sooner when she agreed to most things, "Right, don't drown in useless conclusions and instead look in the surface."

Touya shook his head in disbelief, reaching down and ruffling Sakura's mop of auburn hair, "What did I tell you? You shouldn't nod and agree to anything if you don't understand what the other person is saying, squirt."

She nodded again, eager for some biscuits and milk, "Yes, elder brother."

"You are doing it again!"

Sakura stomped her small foot twice and looked up defensively at her brother, "I cannot help it if you are always right brother! How can I ever disagree to anything you say? You know far more than me do you not? Have seen more than me and done more, how can I possibly question your authority?!"

"If only you can fight as competent as you can fib-talk Sakura," he laughed, taking her by the sides and carrying her in his arms, "All I am saying is that keep things as simple as possible, if you desire something – take it, if you're hurting – fix it, there is only little places you will be able to go if all you do is hesitate. Do you understand?"

Sakura smiled and reached up to her brother's neck for a cuddle, "Hesitation is not an option! Right!"

He sighed, carrying her off to get something to eat, "At least you absorbed that much. I think it's time for your well deserved biscuits, is that what you want?"

"Yes!" she exclaimed and added in a serious tone, "Want something – take it!"

"Good."

The years following that became different, the day she turned six marked the beginning of Sakura's stricter and tougher training regimen. Touya changed into a heartless, severe instructor, caring less for any bruises or injuries – to her, she felt like he was preparing her for the battle of her life.

"Stop crying!" he yelled, his voice booming throughout the dojo, "Do you think your enemy will stop to take pity just because you have tears in your eyes?!"

"I wouldn't know!" Sakura screamed back, hurt and angry, "I'm friends with everyone in school, why would they hurt me?!"

Touya's eyes slightly softened as he approached his crying younger sister, "Listen to me Sakura… you are not like every other tainted immortal out there, you're not like your friends. You're special, how many times have I told you that?"

"Well brother, yes you have repeatedly said I am special but like many things that you tell me, I do not fully understand your meaning." She sobbed pitifully, "If this is what it means to be special, then I'd rather not be."

He knelt down to her eye-level, ruffling her hair, "I'm afraid you have no choice Sakura. You were born with no choice to decide what to become of your destiny because destiny has chosen you."

"You are talking nonsense again brother."

He took her left hand and faced her palm upwards, "Do you see this? This mark?"

Sakura lowered her eyes to see what her older brother was talking about only to find his finger pointing at her birth mark on her left wrist which she had for as long as she could remember, "What about this silly mark? I have asked mother about it and she said every one had one?"

"Yes, everyone does have their own special birth mark Sakura," he said, tracing a finger over the dragon-shaped mark, "But yours is different."

"It is?" she asked, her eyes widening in wonder, "How is it?"

"You know how I have to ability to foretell the future?"

"Yes!" Sakura said excitedly, "That is why no one will ever beat you in fighting isn't that right? You know how to beat them before they even attack!"

He chuckled, "That's right although father has beaten me once. But that is not the point, have you not wondered what your special ability is Sakura?"

"Not everyone is gifted with such abilities brother, father had told me once. The gift only comes to those of pure and strong blood like ours but still not everyone in the family was given one."

"That's right," Touya said, lifting her arm to her eyes, "But you WERE given a gift Sakura – the most rare and powerful of all gifts. But because it is the most special, it is the most tricky to master, you will have to give it everything you got in order to release and control it."

"Is it the ability to fly brother? To make things move with only my mind?" she asked animatedly, "What is it?"

He leant forward to kiss her forehead lightly, "It is the power of salvation Sakura. You will be the one to fight for me, for mother and father, for your friends, for your friends' family, for everyone."

"How can that possibly be true when I will never be able to defeat you brother? You are the strongest among everyone."

"Anything is possible when destiny intervenes, and I am never wrong in my predictions," he winked playfully at her, "So will you fight for me?"

Like a gullible, clueless 6 year old child, Sakura beamed and nodded energetically, "Yes! I will fight for you, for mother, for father and for my friends!"

"Now from now on just give it your all."

"Right!"

"Good."

She fought on with fire and determination in her eyes; she fought like any child would who feared to lose the people she loved most. Through the following years, she honed her skills in combat and in the art of using specialised shurikens. All of it in the desperate attempt to summon and awaken the unique power that was supposedly dwelling within her – the salvation of her people.

"Focus Sakura!" Touya snapped in frustration, "Push yourself harder!"

All she could hear was his constant yelling and roaring, she could not even think straight or think at all. She was sweating all over, bleeding in places, limping on her left foot and struggling to swallow as much air as she could through her system – she felt like a torn rag doll being ripped further apart. She wasn't like the other 7 year old tainted kids who ran around to play outside in their frilly, adorable clothes or those who sipped blood-wine comfortably and happily with their parents. She barely saw her own mother and father, the solid walls of the dojo became the foundation of her life, her brother became her only family and her weapons, her only friends. She became stronger and stronger, faster, independent, fierce…and feared. Her successes weren't her own but her people's, her brother's praises became food for her soul, nothing satisfied her but victory as this was what her brother only approved of. She channelled her whole childhood perfecting her techniques, sometimes pushing herself to the brink of death – no matter what she did, no matter how hard she kept on focusing and pushing to release her inner power, her special mark remained as indifferent and ordinary as it had been since birth. This constant failure introduced her to her own inner demons; the Sakura inside of her taunted, cursed and intimidated her far worse than Touya ever did.

Pushing her aching body from the floor, she spat the accumulating blood in the pits of her mouth and resumed a fighting stance, "Attack!" She signalled using the fingers in her free hand and watched as Touya charged with the same stealth and power, he never held back on her. The moment his fist came in contact with her defending palm, the exchange of fists and flying kicks began with Sakura on the verge of tears.

"It is non-existent Touya!" she screamed as she pulled away from his attacking radius, "Maybe this is it! This is the damn dark power, I'm probably already using it and it's useless!"

He stood with his arms crossed, his dark and irritated eyes looking down on her, "What you are doing right now is not helping. Get up and start again!"

"No!" she cried, feeling her barriers start to crumble, "I have never complained before but I am exhausted, I am drinking my own blood in my mouth and I have had about enough!"

"I have had enough of this, get up and start again!" he barked, walking up to her to drag her to her feet, "It's there, I know it and you just have to try harder, be better and push yourself more than you already have. It is only a matter of time until you release it. Get up!"

She fell to her knees and settled her entire body on the icy floor, sprawled out like the child that she was for once in her life. "No more!" She hoarsely whispered, hiding her face beneath her auburn tresses, "No… more."

She listened as his approaching footsteps started retreating and it wasn't long until his presence completely faded from the dojo. She could not hold back any longer as a sob escaped her lips and tears cascaded down her reddened cheeks, she knew that the suppressed tears she had been stopping to fall and show for years would come sooner or later – she just didn't think she would be foolish enough to show her one, predicted moment of weakness to the person she didn't want to show it to the most. She needed not to see the look in his face while he was walking away, it was already painted with in her line of vision and it grew clearer as she closed her eyes. She would never forget that feeling – the true feeling of utter loneliness and misery multiplied 100-fold as she did not even have Touya to drown it away with his scolding. It had always been his repetitive and deafening voice that numbed her inner-voices and demons, without his constant yelling, she was left to hear herself.

"Stop it!" she shrieked, her voice resonating throughout the wooden room, "I do not want to listen anymore!" Sakura struggled to push herself up and limped off to her room to clean herself - feeling the water caressing her body, she scrubbed the dirt and blood off her arms and legs. She scrubbed and scrubbed hoping to wash away every strip of shame within her, watching as her flesh reddened from the continuous scouring. She looked up, her face parallel to the ceiling, preventing any more tears from escaping her lids, "You've cried enough Sakura. Today will be the first and the last."

The next day came like every other day, it progressed on without the mention of the occurrence the day before. The 10 year old Sakura knew there was no need to apologise and that it was not expected from her either but that made her somewhat even more ashamed. But she had changed into a different girl and person then, a different fighter.

Both her hands crept to her sides as she smirked at the chilling but comforting feeling her metallic shurikens bestowed upon her. They became her extended foreign body parts – sharp, dangerous and deadly accurate. "I'm not going to go easy on you today brother," she smiled and resumed a fighting stance, "Are you ready?"

Touya smirked in return, "What is it that I always say Sakura? Give- it-your-all." Sakura threw the first 3 of her metal stars in the speed of light as he spoke tauntingly, they bulleted through space and neared their target in an instant. He unclasped the necklace around his neck which held a small dagger and used this to swiftly block the three shurikens which all rebounded and darted to the wall. He suddenly heard Sakura sniggering as she charged towards him, holding one of her shurikens in her long, perfect fingers, the blade within its edges gleaming in the light. She swiped past his neck and his cheek, missing by a few centimetres, "I think you have gotten rusty brother!"

"Rule number 2," he sniggered back, disappearing from sight and reappearing behind her, kicking her hard on her lower back, hurling her forward, "Never underestimate your opponent!"

Thinking that Sakura would require a span of a few seconds to collect herself like she usually did, he turned around with his smirk never leaving his lips. He did not have the time to properly react as one of her shurikens swept past his head, barely missing it, "Do not underestimate me then!"

He opened his hand to catch the strands of his dark brown hair which were unfortunate enough to have been in the way of Sakura's accelerating metal star, "Impressive but not good enough." He outstretched his arm to his side and let the dark strands flutter slowly to the floor, "But it is the first time you finally made contact."

"There is more of where that came from," she sneered, preparing for another attack, "Do not take me too lightly brother!"

Touya laughed in amusement, "Sakura, the moment you actually hit me properly, and I mean it to be a hard, well-aimed punch, that will be the moment that I will give you the benefit of fighting me while I am using my gift."

Sakura's eyes widened in surprise and bewilderment, "Do you mean to say that all this time…all this time you have not been using your ability at all?"

She watched as his smile widened even more, "You have not seen the true extent of my capabilities Sakura. You have still a long way to go."

Clenching her hands in fists, she glared up towards her gloating brother, "How foolish I have been!"

"Do you understand now Sakura?"

She looked up and slightly nodded her head, realising the truth of her brother's actions and words, "Why did you not tell me the extent of my weakness earlier brother? You made me tread around like a blinded fool—"

"You are strong now but you can be far stronger, there is no chance of you unleashing your gift as you are now. I have not been pushing you and training you all these years for you to get to this stage. You are expected to go much further than this, to test the borders of the after-life of immortality, you will not satisfactorily play your role in this state, do you understand?"

"Then I intend to reach further," Sakura declared, pulling back the sleeves over her left wrist to stare at her birth mark, "A lot further than this."

"Good."

* * *

She sat up from her lying position and sighed, heaving herself off the floor. Staring off blankly unto a distant wall, memories of her life abruptly materialised before her eyes in a reeling slide show that irritated her to no end. She should stop making a habit of upsetting herself, memories of the past only reminded her of her own weakness but it was the only way she could keep the memories of her brother fresh in her mind. She shook her head and glared unknowingly towards her birth mark, a spiralling dragon innocently enveloped around her tiny wrist.

"You are suppose to be more than what you are right now," she whispered to herself, lifting her wrist to her eyes, "But who are you _now_? And who are you _suppose_ to be?"

After much contemplating, Sakura found herself exiting the gates of her own house, a black travel sack adorning her shoulder. Beyond the gate was a world totally unknown to her, she had never even once in her life thought of stepping out of the place that was supposedly her home. The idea of travelling subconsciously came to her like an innocuous fleeting thought among many others but it on the other hand, stayed wanderingly on her mind long enough for serious consideration. It left her fatigued due the lack of sleep and consequently no choice but to pursue this lingering curiosity of the world outside the sanctuary of her dojo. She was already of the right age to travel, armed and powerful and infinitely intrigued. She yearned to learn much about the civilisation that she was born to save and savagely trained to protect.

She barely left a message to one of the servants to inform her parents of her departure, she found neither reason nor obligation to personally bid farewell to them. She figured she would save them the awkward situation of being compelled to bless a daughter they never really knew. Touya was the only one she saw fit to be farewelled, but even he was beyond her reach now as he was in the palace.

She stepped away from the gate completely and started walking unto the unknown. Upon looking back just for the sake of etching the exterior appearance of her home which she never really ever had the opportunity to properly and completely gaze at from outside, she found it even more foreign to her with its looming black walls and stretching red old-fashioned roofs. It was a huge property, spreading far to both her left and right that she couldn't even distinguish where it ended. She suddenly wondered if she would ever find herself retuning to the particular place… it was far too soon to tell as she was just yet to begin another phase of her life. She turned back towards the road.

She felt like a child again, young and naive.

But she couldn't deny her bubbling excitement or suppress the flooding questions in her mind.

Pulling her knapsack comfortably on her shoulder, she moved step by step forward,

This time without turning back.

* * *

**A/N:** all comments, suggestions, flames blah blah are welcome. 

s2.koiishii.s2


	2. Hello Stranger

**NIGHT SEDUCTION**

* * *

I can't hide the monster anymore

One can only feel desolate for so long

Until one starts to change

Into something the mirror doesn't recognize

I metamorphasize

The darkness has been biding its time

To claim its latest victim

Fresh meat for carnal desires

To become what I became

I viewed the sun for the last time

* * *

She huddled within the thick folds of her black coat, walking with confident strides along the busy network of streets and corners in the bustling city. It was not a particularly cold night but the wind carried a slight chill. The roads, wet with rain water, sparkled and reflected the neon lights bound to every looming building, casting long, irregular shadows. She unwrapped a round lollipop she had taken from her breast pocket and placed it casually in the midst of her cherry lips. Nothing could possibly ruin her unperturbed mood. Nothing.

As expected of a Friday night, the streets were overflowing with wandering people. They huddled in groups, their shrill laughter carried unknowingly by the breeze unto the darkened skies. She broke into a sprint, hurrying across a secluded street and into an unlit alley. The area was a quick short cut to her place of work and she liked the momentary solitude it granted her. Not many people dared to venture around the particular area, unless they wished to be mugged or attacked. But she only felt sorry for the hooligans who would choose to be on her way. She didn't mind having her share of fun but unfortunately as if she already had a warning sign stuck on her forehead, she had not been as lucky as to face any street thug recently. Her last encounter drenched the alleyway with blood, but not a drop of her own. She itched to unwind and take up a challenge. She had become slightly rusty since her days training in the dojo and human challenges only but insulted her abilities. It was a wonder why she had not been as fortunate as to meet any creature such as herself… having escaped the _tainted_ world, who would have thought that she would yearn to go back just to pick a fight. She had been so frustrated lately.

Looking ahead¸ she swiftly swerved around every dumpster on her path, keeping well away from the grimy, urine-covered walls. She crinkled her nose at the stench but hurried on her way. Reaching the end of the dark passage, an ominous metal fence stood as a barricade to prevent the general public from loitering around the area. Just diagonally from where she stood behind the enclosure, the small, old tavern she worked at was squashed between a clothing factory and a contemporary accounting office. The out-of-date tavern stood out in an odd sort of way, it was the only property that had no flashing neon sign-board, the small shop possessed a resemblance to a hut than anything else, made out of discoloured mud bricks and thick, antique timber. It even had a small, grubby chimney that had not puffed out smoke for more than 3 decades. The owner who was a temperamental old woman had long snubbed all offers to buy out and destroy her little tavern by the big, rich top guns in the building industry. The proprietor of the accounting building in particular had threatened and bribed the old woman in hope to have the dingy, eye-sore of a tavern from destroying the image of his new, high-rise business building but Aryan refused all offers and braved out the pressure. Even Sakura, having known the old bat for quite some time and long used to her unstable personality, developed a similar sense of endearment for the tavern. She even helped the old woman egg the new property the night before its grand opening, using the yolks as natural adhesive, they adorned the walls with cascading tissues rolls and settled in the tavern to toast to their handy work. Ridding of all evidence to the sabotage they had done, they were taken in as witnesses but were not reprimanded. She had become somewhat like a daughter to the lonely old Aryan.

Sakura glanced around just to ensure that no one was about, she did not want to have any clueless human discerning her abilities or her true nature. Slightly bending her knees to prepare her body to leap over the towering metal fence, she was rudely disrupted by a snickering presence behind her. Huffing in irritation, she stood up to her full height and inclined her head to look at the intruders. In the midst of the darkness, she clearly saw a bulky man out at the front, around him six other men carrying metal pipes and broken glass bottles. She could smell liquor in their breath from where she stood, sense the sweat trickling from their skin and faintly perceive the anger radiating amongst them. A sweet smile pulled at her lips as she turned around to face them completely.

"You!" the bulky man growled, "Were you the bitch who killed my brother?" He could barely see the façade of the rumoured woman who apparently killed his brother in the very same alley but he could discern the silhouette of the soft contours of her hips, arms, long legs and breasts.

"Who knows?" she purred, placing a hand on her hip, "I've killed so many idiots. The question you really should be asking is wether your brother happened to be one of those unfortunate idiots."

He gritted his teeth and motioned for his men to surround her, "You're messing with the wrong person bitch!"

"Ah, perhaps it WAS your brother after all," she said thoughtfully, "He said the same stupid thing. Too bad he never lived to say it again… I just couldn't stop myself…he was so pathetic, begging for his life, tears, snot and all… You should have seen the fear in his small, blue eyes… or how his dark hair stuck to his face with all that blood and piss… Pathetic." She grinned innocently despite the words escaping her glossed lips, at that moment, she could care less if she really had taken the life of the man's brother. She had no recollection of the faces of her victims, only the taste of their blood. Glancing towards the tavern and then down to her wrist watch, she smiled apologetically, "Oh boy, I don't intend to be late for my shift so let's make this nice and quick."

"Kill the bitch!" the man barked out and all at once, all of his followers ran towards her, metal pipes and broken glass bottles raised high up over their heads, ready to strike.

She tilted her head to the side, her smile never leaving her lips; she was clearly entertained by their clueless show of courage and blind valour. Raising her left hand in front of her, she elegantly clawed at the air, her palms facing the night sky. She did not need to conjure much of her power as water from the surrounding puddles magically rose from the asphalt and with great speed and force, shot out to the head of every one of the men who were closing in on her. The water droplets acted like bullets fired from a gun, each penetrated their skulls and instantly sprayed out with the blood and gut that erupted from their heads. She watched as they fell limp to the ground, drowning in their own meaningless deaths. She brought her fingers to comb her auburn locks from her face and as she reached the tips, she twirled the strands playfully by her breast. She looked down at her handy work and inhaled deeply, enjoying the metallic essence of the pool of blood by her boots. _Using water as bullets_, she thought to herself,_ the police will have no lead to solve this crime. A pity that my creativity can't be used for something more worth while._

Returning to her original task, she flexed her knees and sprung from the ground before the blood could slither to her black, velvet boots. She got over the fence with no sign of effort and landed softly on the other side, smoothing her clothes before walking to the door of her beloved tavern. In the light of a nearby street post, her eyes glowed in its usual mesmerising emerald colour, only this time is had hues of ruby and gold. The smell of blood without doubt heightened her senses and so she had to wait awhile by the door to let the gripping, innate sensations pass.

She looked up at the starless sky, suddenly reminiscing about home, "Brother, who would have thought that the answer we were seeking was nothing but my exposure to the world outside the dojo? Was this the power you kept on hounding me to summon?" She looked away from the sky bitterly and exhaled, "It's been 5 years brother… will you be proud at how much stronger I've gotten? Will you show your approval only with a stiff nod of your head…?" She placed her hand on the door and pushed, welcoming the warmth within the tavern that clung to her face. With the trace of ruby and gold out of her eyes, she proceeded behind the bar and plastered a cheerful smile on her face. Succumbing to work, she busied herself chatting away with the loyal costumers who greeted her happily and told her of the sad miseries of their life. She liked working; it made her forget of her pain, her own sadness and loneliness.

She was a different Sakura to the one who left the dojo 5 years ago.

She had walked like a cursed plague for months assimilating among the shadows of the human crowd. Death followed her path like a loyal companion, drenching her hunger and reminding her time and time again of her true nature. She was no longer a careless novice that killed with hesitant, shaking hands – she had become numb to the fear, the guilt and the nightmares that came when she drifted off to sleep. The mere smell of blood thrilled her, and now being on her own, she was free to do as she pleased and act solely upon the whim of her lust for blood. Although she had to admit, she had become shamelessly attached to humans and their mundane affairs. Her world took shape from the 4-walled wooden dojo she had spent most of her life to that of the cultivating realm of false light, technology and the music of the human society. Not once did she come across a tainted being such as she.

Humans were peculiar creatures, closely knitted to their family and friends, easy to react to the impulse of their emotions and vulnerable to everything. They were so physically and emotionally weak and fragile. At first she thought them irritating and pathetic – they found happiness in the most trivial things, wept over them for a period of time and then manage to plaster a smile of false bravery in order to resume their next phase of happiness. The cycle appalled her but she found herself being drawn to watch and satisfy her vivacious curiosity. There was a strange lure in the complexity of their simple, preoccupied and bustling life.

So she watched and watched until she became one of them. A lurking wolf in a flock of sheep.

* * *

He looked down on the two figures bowed down before him, irritation clear in his amber eyes. They weren't the ones who annoyed him but the news that they brought to tell him. He signalled for them to stand up as he shifted in his throne, "They have something against us."

"That would seem so, but we have no idea what it is, your Highness," one of the two figures spoke, his voice even and mellow, "How can we act against something we are not aware of or know nothing of?"

"I know," Syaoran said simply, rubbing his temples, "Their army is growing small, two of their most skilful fighters have been defeated and killed, their system of protection is diminishing… this war should have been ours a long time ago."

"And yet they do not surrender," the other figure stated, who was a female with long flowing raven hair, "Perhaps their king have gone mad."

"No." Syaoran objected in a whisper, "The only rational reasoning is that they have something against us that they're sure will take us down."

"What could it possibly be?" the female spoke again and then paled instantly, "Could it be that they have found the Sanglen?"

"Sanglen?" the other repeated and paled himself, "Impossible! That is nothing but a fable… a myth…"

"The Sanglen," Syaoran said thoughtfully, looking out the window, "One who walks among the _tainted_ but can also walk when the sun is at its peak. One who possesses powers unnamed… the rumoured salvation and protector of the under world."

"Insanity!" the male figure bellowed, "Complete insanity."

He returned his gaze to his two most skilled fighters and sighed, "Being prepared is the best defence at this point. I want you two to go around cities and get as much information as you can find."

The two bowed low and turned for the door, their footsteps echoing through out the darkened dome. Behind them, their leader sat restlessly, evidently angered at the fact that he must play the wise king and delay the plan of taking over the enemy lines. Patience was a weakness of his but he had decided to keep himself at bay. The opposing side had barely anything to keep their barriers up, once everything was cleared up, it would be nothing but a piece of cake to completely ruin Yue and his resistance…

He was, after all, already winning this war…

* * *

Sakura nodded her head in understanding and urged the drunkard sitted in front of her to continue his story. The man had been their costumer for almost three years; he was short and plump, most likely in his 50's and had a grey beard that reached to his chest. He lifted the bottle of beer to his lips and sobbed uncontrollably, "She was a whore of a wife but I loved her! How can she do this to me?"

She took a step back and willed for the man to stop his howling, her sensitive ears were hurting from the volume of his voice. "She's not worth it okay?" she said to him, patting his back lightly, "There are so much more beautiful women out there… forget about her."

He shook his head and howled louder, "I can't! I love her… too much…"

Producing another bottle of beer, she placed it in front of him and walked to the other end of the bar to serve another costumer, "Just drink it up, Mr.Takashi, and when you see that conniving woman, give her a piece of your mind." She sighed in relief as the man chugged down more of his beer and quietened down. It was a surprise that the place didn't dampen her mood or spirit, hearing other people's problems and thinking about them and not her own made her feel somewhat comforted.

The other costumer was younger, but a more recent costumer compared to Mr.Takashi. He was in his 30's and loved mulling over his unhappy career and how he had not been able to find a decent woman for nearly 4 years. Sakura grimaced at his appearance as she stepped closer to him, he smelt like he had not washed himself for days. This man, Sakura noted, although miserable, never once shed a tear in her presence. He would speak to her in a drone-like whisper, more to himself than to her, and intoxicate himself until he would fall asleep, drooling on the bar. Sakura hated cleaning after him.

"Whiskey shots or bottle of beer?" she asked and watched as he brought his fingers to shape a beer bottle in the air in front of her. "Beer then."

She placed 3 bottles in front of him and looked up at the clock above her head. It had only been 2 hours since her shift started and it was proving to be boring one. Most of the costumers were already too drunk to spurt out stories worth listening to, even if they were the same ones they would tell her repeatedly. She looked to the door and wished for more costumers, preferably a new one since she had about memorised the tales of the others. Unfortunately, they rarely got new costumers thanks to the shabby appearance of the tavern which doesn't even stand a chance against the modernised clubs down the road. On top of that, Aryan was not the best hostess; she enjoyed throwing people out if she felt like it and making trouble if things did not go to her wishes. Even Sakura could not grasp the rationality of the old short woman, but never once did Aryan direct her anger and tetchiness to her favoured bar tender. Sakura's punctuality, reliability and tenderness to their costumers and not to mention her surpassing beauty have lured many a men to come back again and again to their tavern, being the stable source of the tavern's income.

Gasping, she stared in disbelief as the door opened and a tall, young man entered and glided to one of the cushioned stools by the bar. He looked up at her and smiled, the gesture made her raise a brow. She had never seen the man in her life and her curiosity was apparent in her vivid emerald eyes. He was a strange creature, tall and willowy with cascading white locks that framed his small face. She found herself questioning wether he was even a man at all.

She approached him and upon closer inspection, she could not take her own gaze from his feline, silver eyes. She did not miss the blood mark on his left eye either. He too raised a brow and reciprocated the inspection. He could tell that **she knew** he was _tainted_.

"Who are you?" she asked meekly, utterly surprised since it had been years since she had encountered a vampire like herself, "And what do you want?"

He met her gaze and furrowed his brows; she _**did not**_ have the blood mark so how did she know that he was _tainted_?

"How do you know I am what I am?" he asked in return, also befuddled. He watched as her features creased in irritation, it was clear that she did not appreciate having her questions rebuffed by questions.

"I am called Yue," he said, deciding to proceed with some tactic as he, also yearned to learn who she was, "I did not come here for anything but a glass of drink."

"We don't sell blood here," she stated dryly, "You've come to the wrong place."

"I have answered your questions, you have not answered mine." He retaliated, not at all concerned by her brusqueness. He truly did only want to drink liquor after all and was not guilty of her cold allegations. "Are you a hunter? Is that how you know?"

"No, I'm not a _hunter_," she said, pouring him a shot of whiskey in a small glass, "I'm Sakura and obviously, I know because of your blood mark." She spoke to him as if he was asking her the most ridiculous question she had even been asked in her life.

"How do you know of blood marks then? If you are not a hunter and you are not _tainted_ yourself?"

She gave him a questioning glare, "I am _tainted_. I just don't possess a blood mark like most others like you. You must be so weak that you can't even distinguish my vampiric aura."

"How can I?" he asked baffled, "You must know that you do not have that either?"

"Really?" she muttered and laughed, "But if it is true, I wouldn't be surprised, it's probably yet one of my many birth defects." She laughed again and looked at him, surprised by his serious face. His eyes, especially, irked her; the blood mark was almost glowing amidst his silver pupil.

He smiled back at her but his gaze was growing in intensity that she had to look away, "So what brings you here?" she asked, attempting to break the ice and get the conversation flowing.

"I'm looking for the culprit for the abattoir outside," he said simply, "The stench of fresh kill lured me here."

She nodded her head to show her comprehension, "And what were you going to do to the culprit?"

"I would tell HER that mass human murder is against the dark law, especially when the killing is unreasonable and only done to satisfy blood lust."

"Her?" she enquired, feigning innocence.

"Yes, you."

"I was not aware of any such law." She pushed the whiskey closer to him, urging for him to drink it, "But now that I am aware of it, I still choose to not abide by it. I follow no law." She grinned as she knew she had succeeded in irritating him.

He remained quiet for a few minutes as he lifted the small glass to his lips and gulped it in one go. The burning sensation in his throat did not pull any reaction on his blank, serene face. "Do you not find me intimidating Sakura?"

She poured him another glass and shook her head, "Why, am I suppose to?"

"Perhaps." He said neutrally, resting his head on his right palm, "I am stronger and older than you after all."

Leaning forward, she inched closer to his ear and whispered, "Don't be so cocky."

He chuckled, "I am not."

She crossed her arms and frowned at him, "Are you challenging me?"

"No, I have a better idea. Have you been to the Cavern?" he asked and instantly knew she did not even have the slightest clue to what he was talking about.

"Cavern?"

"Why do I get the feeling that you are more human than vampire?"

Sakura glared at him menacingly, clearly insulted. She did not bother responding to his apparent rhetorical question.

"I apologise, I did not mean to offend."

"Of course not," she said, rolling her eyes, "So what's in this Cavern?"

"Something worth going to I can reassure you," he stated, drinking the second whiskey shot, "When can you take off?"

"What makes you think I'm just going to willingly let you take me to some unknown place?"

"Because it is apparent that you take pride of your strength, refusing me now means you admit defeat." He smiled up at her and watched as her features contorted from disbelief to complete exasperation, "You know I am right."

"I knew you would be a nuisance the moment you stepped-in in here," she puffed, anger dancing in her green eyes, "Wait outside by the door, I'll be there in a few minutes."

He nodded and smirked, placing a 1000 yen bill in her hands, "Keep the change. I'll be outside."

Sakura deposited the money in the till and headed to the back door which led to a small room where Aryan was. She found her sitting by her table, going through pages and pages of bills and order papers. She looked up from what she was doing and smiled warmly at Sakura, "You need something?"

"Would I be able to get off early today?" Sakura asked softly, "I think I'm coming down with something."

Aryan was quick to her tiny feet, shuffling near Sakura and placing a soft hand to her forehead, "No fever, that's good."

"It's probably a cold or something." Sakura said, smiling down at the woman.

"Off you go then! Get home quickly and get to bed." Aryan ordered, pushing her out the door, "I'll see you on your next shift."

"Thank you so much," she said, untying her black apron and putting her black coat back on, "I owe you one."

"Don't worry about it, just get better."

"By the way, there's a 1000 yen bill in the till," Sakura said, "Some retard didn't mind giving his money away."

Stepping outside, Sakura shivered from the sudden cold. The wind whipped her hair against her face and once it died down, left it in disarray. She found Yue leaning by the lamp post, his hair dancing wildly in the air. His eyes were glued to the direction of the darkened alley where the bloody corpses lay, he was pre-occupied in his own thoughts. She neared him, examining him from head to toe, "How can you walk around looking like that?" Aside from his white hair which nearly touched the floor, he was wearing an odd styled navy suit and on top of it, a flowing mauve cloak.

"You see me as you do now because you are _tainted_," he explained, drawing his gaze away from the metal fence of the alley way, "Ordinary humans perceive differently."

"How do you do it?" she asked curiously, "Is it magic?"

"Somewhat." He muttered and started walking down the road, "Let's go."

She looked back to the metal fence, attempting to figure out why Yue had been troubled by it. Did he not find death and blood as appealing as she did? Sakura closed her eyes momentarily and summoned some of her power. The lifeless bodies suddenly ignited and were engulfed in smouldering amber flames. In a few seconds, they crumbled into ash and were carried away by the wind, scattered like worthless dirt. Once she was certain that there was no trace of blood left on the asphalt, she hurried to follow Yue, trailing behind him quietly.

"You burnt the bodies?" he said as he raised his petit nose unto the air and inhaled, "I'm guessing you have been birth with the ability to control the element of fire?"

"Yes." She replied, surprised as to how he knew. She thought she was the only one who knew and used elemental powers, "Do you possess it too?"

"I have been birth to the element of wind not fire. Possessing elemental powers is rare and has only ever known to occur to full-blooded, noble vampires. Aside from elemental powers, there are those who are birth to other special abilities such as using magic, having the ability to heal, fighting, hypnosis… the variety is indefinite but one vampire can only but possess one unique ability. Elemental power work in the same way, when a vampire is gifted to control an element, they must stay true to one and master it."

"Is it possible to possess the power to control and master all elements?" she asked, following close behind him as they weaved through the many streets and corners of the city.

"I have not heard of such a thing to occur. To fully master the use of an element takes a lifetime to complete, the possibility is actually endless. It all depends on the perseverance, dedication and creativity of the user. Elemental power is quite malleable, its use and form is left to the imagination of its user."

"As you said, you control the elemental wind but how is it you know how to use magic?"

"A side hobby," he muttered, "A vampire's limit is only dictated by his power. Stronger vampires have the endurance to take on more than one birth ability but not completely. I had a friend teach me some magic tricks and with much practice, I can now do little bits of this and that. Although let me emphasise that these are totally minor, pathetic tricks but even so, it took me almost a decade to master them. The elemental wind is and will always be my true calling."

She listened intently, absorbing every last detail as if they were food and she was a malnourished, starving animal. She only knew of her own strength and power and nothing of the world she was suppose to belong in. The world of the _tainted_ was a complete mystery to her.

He led her to an unlit street, adjusting her eyes, she could make out the tall, solid walls erected both to their left and to their right. Walking deeper into the darkness, Yue abruptly stopped in his tracks and sharply turned left. He took Sakura's wrist so she wouldn't fall behind. Right on the corner was a gigantic dumpster, filled to the brim with carton boxes. Beside it, a small wooden door stood ajar, it reached only to Sakura's waist. She squinted to make sure it was a door, "What in hell is that?"

"That would be the door we have to crawl into so we can get into the underground passage way." He said, squatting right in front of it, "Beyond it is a 100 m descent, it should get us to the Cavern in half an hour."

Sakura crossed her arms, "Are you serious? I don't intend to be on my knees for half an hour."

He looked at her impatiently, "It's only the door way that you need to crawl into, once you get to the other side, it's big enough to stand up and start walking down the stairs." He motioned for her to go through first but she only glared down at him and shook her head.

"Fine, I'll go in first then," he said, getting on all fours and disappearing through the door, "Hurry up."

Sakura unhappily followed suit and quickly stood up when she reached the other side, dusting off her knees. It was even darker and colder inside and it smelt of soil and grime.

"Can I procure a flame?"

He gathered his white locks to one side and binded it with a ribbon that he fished out from his pocket. "I don't see why not."

Concentrating on her right index finger, she felt the wave of the heat travel from within her and across to her arm and unto her hand until it centred upon her finger. At first it was nothing but a small ember-like spark that trembled weakly on the tip of her finger but as she put more effort into it, the flame instantaneously shot out and flew to the ceiling, making a blackened soot mark on the cement over their heads. Sakura eased on her power little by little until she only had the amount of fire she wanted. She grinned at Yue's glare, "Shall we start descending then?"

"You are far from properly controlling your elemental," he stated flatly, "Now I am somewhat regretting taking you here."

"Shut up and start walking," she snapped, "I can control it fine."

They started descending down the flight of stairs, Sakura leading the way with her dazzling, bright flame. The further they went, the colder and darker it got. Sakura's heart was racing with excitement, she didn't know what to expect.

What exactly is this Cavern?

* * *

A/N: that's it folks! hope it wasn't too confusing? . let me know what you think, all comments, suggestions, flames, anything are welcome. lol it didnt turn out to be a one-shot after all. i cldnt resist!

wana take a guess as to what the Cavern is and what's in it?

hope u guys enjoyed reading as much as i enjoyed writing that. and it is nearly 4 in the morning...

luv, the authoress


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